A Good Neighborhood Informal Buddy Read

[Alissa]

So far, this one will be read by me, Lea and Lindsey. Anyone else is welcome to join! =)

Do you ladies want to aim for early Jan or mid January?

[Lea]

I can do either. I'm super excited about this one! :-)

[Alissa]

I can do either as well- Lindsey your choice lol

[Lindsey]

I'm open to either too. If we all have the book lets kick this year off with this buddy read!! 😊

[Lindsey]

Ai that means my vite is early January. 🤣

[Lea]

I'm in!! What a great way to start out the year!

[Alissa]

Okay !
A Good Neighborhood is downloaded and ready to go January 1st!!

[Ioana]

+ me

[Lindsey]

Ioana wrote: "+ me"

Yeaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!

[Alissa]

Ioana wrote: "+ me"

YAY!!

[Ioana]

Alissa wrote: "Ioana wrote: "+ me"

YAY!!"

Lindsey wrote: "Ioana wrote: "+ me"

Yeaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!"

Ladies, I'm touched! 🤗 "See" you soon.

[Denise]

Following... might join you!

[Lea]

I am so delighted to start the year reading this with you all!

[Alissa]

Denise wrote: "Following... might join you!"

woot woot

[Lindsey]

Ok, the freaking opening paragraph rocks..i think this is going to be a really good book!

[Alissa]

I'm about 10% in (i'm listening to it)- I already love the narrator.
I don't like where the book is headed haha I'm already cringing.....

[Ioana]

I haven't started yet, maybe in a couple of days...but I'm intrigued now. Please mark the spoilers.

[Lea]

I am also listening to it and I'm in Chapter 5, which is also about 10% in. Nothing has happened but the tension is building.

The very first paragraph of the book says "Later this summer when the funeral takes place, the media will speculate boldly on who's to blame" so I don't think it is too much of a spoiler to say that there is going to be a terrible tragedy, and I'm already guessing what happens.

[Kim. E.]

Just yesterday I realized I own this book!! I'll be behind you guys by a few days I'm sure, but I'm moving it up to read

[Alissa]

Kim. E. wrote: "Just yesterday I realized I own this book!! I'll be behind you guys by a few days I'm sure, but I'm moving it up to read"

YAY!!!

[Alissa]

This one is definitely a slow-burner but I feel like it's building up to something....

[Lea]

Kim. E. wrote: "Just yesterday I realized I own this book!! I'll be behind you guys by a few days I'm sure, but I'm moving it up to read"

Woo hoo! I'm reading just a bit every day, so you can either catch up or not be too far behind. I'm in Chapter 9 right now.

[Lea]

Alissa wrote: "This one is definitely a slow-burner but I feel like it's building up to something...."

Yes, where are you now? I'm on Chapter 9. I'm really not going to write anything too spoiler-y on this post, but for those who like to be completely surprised, I'll hide it.

(view spoiler)[So, we know this is a tragedy. Every once in awhile the author throws something in there from an unidentified plural voice - is that supposed to be like a Greek chorus?

I also got to the part where Juniper is wondering what makes a neighborhood good, comparing her parents thoughts to her own, and I started thinking about why I moved to my most recent neighborhood and what I like about it. It's such an individual question, but it does say a lot about who we are and what we value. :-) (hide spoiler)]

[Ioana]

I just started it yesterday, about 10 min into it 😱

[Kim. E.]

I'm going to start tonight. Trying to read through an annotated verson of The Picture of Dorian Gray so I need some breaks for other reading

[Lindsey]

Alissa wrote: "This one is definitely a slow-burner but I feel like it's building up to something...."

Yes!!! But I'm on the fence as to if its building up to (view spoiler)[something between Juniper and Xavier or somethinf thst happens between her and her step dad Brad, but msybe somehow Xavier gets blamed? The author seems to be layinf the framework for this to be racial. But then shes deopping hints about Brad maybe having some inappropriate thoughts... unless I'm misreading that... (hide spoiler)]

[Lea]

Ioana wrote: "I just started it yesterday, about 10 min into it 😱"

How's it going? I'm in Chapter 14, or 33% into the book at the moment.

[Lea]

Kim. E. wrote: "I'm going to start tonight. Trying to read through an annotated verson of The Picture of Dorian Gray so I need some breaks for other reading"

Were you able to start, Kim? I hope you made some progress on your books. :-)

[Ioana]

Lea wrote: "How's it going? I'm in Chapter 14, or 33% into the book at the moment."

I just finished part 1 of 9, hope to make some more progress today. About the book itself....hmmm.... 🤔

[Lea]

Lindsey wrote: "Yes!!! But I'm on the fence as to if its building up to [spoilers removed]"

Lindsey, regarding the spoilers, I have the same questions. I do think the author is laying the groundwork for (view spoiler)[ some form of Romeo and Juliet type of ending and I'm guessing that based upon what the author is telling us about Xavier, he's going to be the one who gets blamed for what happens. <\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Lea]

Below are from Chapter 14...

(view spoiler)[I am finding the purity ball thing to be a little bit creepy. I mean, I definitely grew up in a religious household where I felt my parents were the strictest, yet I never even heard of such a thing until my niece from Tennessee was telling me about it. It's not very common in California.

I also feel like Valerie's decision to sue the Whitman's without even talking to them, with the rationale that they won't be bankrupted by the lawsuit, to be something that will sever any semblance of neighborly harmony. I do think it is appalling that the Whitman's and their contractor circumvented some of the zoning rules, and understand Valerie's concern about the precedent it is setting. It is just unfortunate that they can't try to talk about it before legal action is taken. It sounds like this won't end well for anybody. <\spoiler|> (hide spoiler)]

[Alissa]

Ioana wrote: "Lea wrote: "How's it going? I'm in Chapter 14, or 33% into the book at the moment."

I just finished part 1 of 9, hope to make some more progress today. About the book itself....hmmm.... 🤔"

...meaning??? lol

[Alissa]

In regards to the first paragraph of the book which says "Later this summer when the funeral takes place, the media will speculate boldly on who's to blame" (view spoiler)[ I really hope its Brad. Disgusting pedophile pig. What a friggin creeper (hide spoiler)]

[Lea]

"Ioana wrote: "I just finished part 1 of 9, hope to make some more progress today. About the book itself....hmmm.... 🤔"

Hmmmm....I kind of agree with that. I'll confess to feeling a bit let down - I expected a little more - but I'm still enjoying the book at 33%, and am hopeful that Alissa's spoiler is absolutely accurate, because I agree with her assessment of that character. LOL.

[Ioana]

Alissa wrote: "...meaning??? lol"

Meaning I'm not sure yet. The stereotypes bother me.
I haven't read any of the spoilers, I'm wondering when will we find out who's funeral...but don't tell me.

[Kim. E.]

Didn't get to start last night. Got diverted by a mystery, but its in my hands now.

[Lindsey]

Alissa i totally hope your spoiler is accurate too!!!

[Lindsey]

I have a question for those who are listening to the audiobook, do they read the "acknowledgements" at the beginning of the book? I ask this bc in it the author makes a big deal about being white and writing from the perspective of two African American characters. How she tried to do as much research as possible, extensive honework... "I approached this project with respect, aiming for accurate representations, mindful of the ways white authors have gotten things wrong.". At first I wondered why she felt the need to put this at the beginning of the book. It was almost like she's apologizing for what you're about to read....

Ioana, you mentioned the stereotypes are bothering you. They are starting to bother me too.

What did y'all think of that author's note?

[Lindsey]

This whole purity ball thing is just weird. I am from the South and this is just weird. My nieces did a thing at church where they vowed to stay pure until marriage, but it wasn't this weird ball thing with your dad, or step dad. I hate to be mean, but i kind of understand why some of the kids at Juniper's school are making fun of her about this. (Though i still think thats mean and kids should never make fun of other kids, period.)

[Lindsey]

Ok, my last thought for the night.... (view spoiler)[I swear Brad is some kind of sick pervert and I'm scared he is going to do something horrible to Juniper. Julia is talking more about how she was raped and the bad things guys did to her. Did Brad target her to get to Juniper? Knowing she would easily trust him and jump at the chance of stability? (hide spoiler)]

[Lindsey]

Well, I lied... one more thought/question- (view spoiler)[Do you think Valerie is overreacting about this oak tree and the lawsuit? Is she really trying to change the process for permitting to "protect the environment" or is this more revenge motivated? (hide spoiler)]

[Kim. E.]

So, I've finally started but since you guys are very far ahead of me I'm going to stay clear from here until I'm either very far along or finished.

Interesting so far, and me thinking I know where's this headed but I'm all for being wrong.

[Denise]

My copy is in at the library! I'll try to play catch up. 😊

[Lea]

Lindsey wrote: "I have a question for those who are listening to the audiobook, do they read the "acknowledgements" at the beginning of the book? I ask this bc in it the author makes a big deal about being white and writing from the perspective of two African American characters. How she tried to do as much research as possible, extensive honework... "I approached this project with respect, aiming for accurate representations, mindful of the ways white authors have gotten things wrong.". At first I wondered why she felt the need to put this at the beginning of the book. It was almost like she's apologizing for what you're about to read....

Ioana, you mentioned the stereotypes are bothering you. They are starting to bother me too.

What did y'all think of that author's note?"

So, I'm listening to an audiobook also, but the acknowledgements were not read up front, so I haven't listened to them yet. I just checked the Table of Contents and there is an Epilogue and a Closing. I'm guessing the acknowledgements might be in the Closing in my audiobook?

We're at a weird place in our development if an author writing fiction has to apologize for writing about a character written in a different perspective than her own. Authors over generations have written characters with different backgrounds, sexual orientations, etc. from their own. It makes me wonder what is about to happen...

What stereotypes specifically are starting to bother all of you?

[Lea]

Kim. E. wrote: "So, I've finally started but since you guys are very far ahead of me I'm going to stay clear from here until I'm either very far along or finished.

Interesting so far, and me thinking I know where's this headed but I'm all for being wrong."

Welcome, Kim! I hope I'm wrong too with where this is headed. :-) Come on back when you're a little bit into the book. Love to hear your thoughts, even if they are from chapters previous. :-)

[Lea]

Denise wrote: "My copy is in at the library! I'll try to play catch up. 😊"

Yay! Welcome Denise! I am reading about 10% a day and am at 33%, so if you read just a bit faster, no doubt you'll catch up in a few days. :-) Love to hear your thoughts as you go along.

[Ioana]

My audiobook did not have any acknowledgments in the beginning, I don't think...

[Alissa]

My audiobook didn't either.

How do you feel about Juniper and Xavier's friendship/relationship?
I don't buy it (in terms of the author trying to convince us they like each other) It feels very forced.

[Lea]

Lea wrote: "We're at a weird place in our development if an author writing fiction has to apologize for writing about a character written in a different perspective than her own. Authors over generations have written characters with different backgrounds, sexual orientations, etc. from their own. It makes me wonder what is about to happen..."

Walking back my own comment...I was thinking more about this. My favorite book is Anne of Green Gables and I was thinking about the part in it where Anne gets advice that she should write stories she knows versus the beautiful stories of her imaginings. I think there is something to be said about that too. Writing stories about racial tensions seems to be something that sells nowadays, but if you don't have personal experience with it, it is challenging to write it well. Even if you research well, it can come across as inauthentic. On the other hand, I certainly hope that Stephen King doesn't have very much personal experience with the type of stories that he writes. If he does, law enforcement needs to be watching him and other authors very closely. :-) So, I'm still processing what I think about this. There's more to consider than I originally thought.

[Lea]

Alissa wrote: "My audiobook didn't either.

(view spoiler)[How do you feel about Juniper and Xavier's friendship/relationship?
I don't buy it (in terms of the author trying to convince us they like each other) It feels very forced." (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[I feel like Xavier's entire character is forced, which is why I think he's about to be the sacrificial lamb here. The author appears to be writing to white people and trying to get us to appreciate him under our own lens. She's made him too perfect, too perfect for her and her own tastes. I'll explain. He has light skin. He plays classical guitar and gets accepted to a very prestigious and pricey university. He is allegedly so respectful of women that he turns down hook up offers from all of these girls who just want sex, no strings attached. Because of course, he's a better man than that. He's a good student. He has a job and a car. He has good friends, and his friendships are diverse. He says thoughtful and insightful things. Fabulous. But would we have liked him less if was a great dancer and liked hip hop and was going to go to the local junior college? If he was being raised by his aunt? That's not saying that there aren't amazing men out there with lots of advantages that are biracial. That would love classical guitar and be excellent students and sons and live in fancy neighborhoods. There are. But this one feels like the author's dream man, and she's trying to force a match with Juniper because she identifies with her. Make him be the type of guy that she (the author) would be interested in. And Juniper and he have one conversation at a party and another one while she's out for a run - and voila! Instant love. It feels fake to me. <\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]